McCrory threatens veto on abortion bill

Published: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 at 10:21 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 at 10:21 a.m.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory intensified Wednesday his opposition to proposed legislation that would tighten rules on abortions, threatening to veto the measure unless his concerns are addressed.

McCrory's office said the Republican governor would block the measure from taking effect "unless changes and clarifications are made addressing our concerns." It cites the comments by Health and Human Services Secretary Aldona Wos on Tuesday to a House committee considering the measure after the Senate pushed it quickly through the chamber last week.

Wos said she was worried about provisions directing regulators to develop abortion clinic standards similar to those used to regulate outpatient surgery centers and suggested more study of current rules and more inspectors of existing health facilities.

McCrory said earlier this week he wanted to make sure the health and safety of women are protected, but said some provisions appeared to cross over the line to restricting abortion access.

McCrory "would like to thank those members of the legislature who have been working with the administration to ensure that the bill's goals and objectives are clearly to protect the health and the safety of women," the statement said.

The House must decide whether to accept the bill and send it to McCrory's desk, seek adjustments with the Senate to address the concerns of McCrory and his administration, or do both. House and Senate Republicans said Tuesday they were listening to the concerns of the Department of Health and Human Services, but a key House member said she still hoped for a final House vote later this week.

Rep. Ruth Samuelson, R-Mecklenburg, who is shepherding the bill in the House, said Wednesday "we're working on the clarifications" and trying to protect the safety and health of women.

The public veto threat — McCrory's first since taking office in January — reflect the difficult eye McCrory is seeking to thread on a social issue such as abortion that he was uncomfortable in addressing as a candidate.

During a televised debate last October, McCrory was asked which additional abortion restrictions he would agree to sign into law. McCrory responded simply, "None." But social conservatives are pressing the Republican-led legislature to pass the bill in the light of state regulators ordering two clinics to shut down this year.

"This is a common sense requirement designed to help protect the health and well-being of women who seek abortion services in our state," John Rustin with the North Carolina Family Policy Council said at Tuesday's committee.

Doctors also would have to be "physically present" throughout an entire surgical abortion and when a woman receives a chemically-induced abortion. A state HHS official told the panel this phrase and others in legislation needed to be clarified.

Hundreds of abortion-rights activists also have protested at the legislative complex over the last week, saying the bill is designed to close down many of the state's 16 abortion clinics because they won't be able to meet the expensive upgrades for ambulatory surgical centers the measure would require. That would result in decreased access to abortion procedures.

"The best way to improve the safety of abortion clinics is to increase their inspections," Rep. Verla Insko, D-Orange, said Tuesday, but "closing clinics will increase the use of illegal abortions."

The Senate inserted several other abortion-related measures that already passed the House into the bill. The measure would prohibit gender-selective abortions, curb abortion insurance coverage and expand the type of medical professionals that can conscientiously objection to participate in abortions. The law currently applies to nurses and doctors.

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